Barnes & Noble is expanding its physical store presence across the United States, with 28 new stores set to open or already opened in several states and Washington, D.C., this year. The company plans additional openings including four locations in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Elk Grove, California, and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. This expansion marks a significant comeback for Barnes & Noble after years of closures due to competition from online retailers like Amazon. CEO James Daunt attributes the revival to giving local stores more autonomy over their sales strategies.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Barnes & Noble is expanding its physical store footprint across America with plans to open 28 new bookstores this year. As of September, four stores will open in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Elk Grove, California, and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. The Elk Grove location marks the return of a major bookstore to the area since Borders Books closed in 2011. Barnes & Noble currently has more than 720 locations nationwide, according to USA Today. This expansion is part of the bookseller's revival strategy after many physical stores were forced to close due to competition from Amazon. The chain's growth reflects a resurgence of interest in brick-and-mortar bookstores despite a CBS News poll showing that 36 percent of Americans are reading fewer books than they did a decade ago.
Written for “Barnes Noble Revival” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 9215 · logged 2026-09-14
Barnes & Noble is expanding with a slew of new bookstores across America.
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Barnes → expand → America
So far this year, 28 stores have opened, or are scheduled to open soon, in a handful of states and Washington, D.C.
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stores → open → D.C.
It will put the bookseller’s footprint at more than 720 locations nationwide, according to USA Today.
uncertain
It → put → Today
In September, the chain plans to open four new locations in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Elk Grove, California and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, according to press releases from the company.
uncertain
chain → plan → company
The Jenkintown store, which opens this Wednesday, marks the return of Barnes & Noble to the town after its location closed 14 years ago.
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location → open → town
Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento, has not had a major bookstore since its Borders Books closed in 2011.
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Books → have → 2011
It is one of eight locations opening in California this year, “reflecting a strong resurgence of the brand’s brick-and-mortar footprint,” Barnes & Noble said.
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Barnes → open → footprint
The bookseller’s revival of physical stores comes after many closed in the face of fierce competition from Amazon, which began as an online bookseller.
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which → come → bookseller
However, a CBS News poll in June found that 36 percent of Americans are reading fewer books than they did a decade ago, while only 23 percent said they are reading more.
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they → find → more
Still, Barnes & Noble doesn’t seem discouraged.
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Barnes → seem → ?
CEO James Daunt told Axios in July: “The revival is there.”
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revival → tell → July
Much of the chain’s comeback has been as a result of changes made under Daunt, who previously led the turnaround of British bookstore chain Waterstones.
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who → make → Waterstones
He has placed an emphasis on allowing each local Barnes & Noble store to be in charge of their sale strategies.
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store → place → strategies
The company emphasized that local connection in a statement to USA Today last December.
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company → emphasize → Today
"Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful," the bookstore chain said in a statement.
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chain → enjoy → statement
"In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019."
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it → open → 2019
It was not immediately clear what other locations are opening this year.
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locations → open → ?
The Independent has contacted Barnes & Noble for more information.
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Independent → contact → information
Barnes & Noble’s new stores, or planned openings for 2026:
- Jenkintown - Pennsylvania
- Elk Grove - California
- San Antonio - Texas
- Orlando - Florida (two locations)
- Costa Mesa - California
- Lexington - Kentucky
- Chicago - Illinois (two locations)
- Stillwater - Oklahoma
- Livingston - New Jersey
- Casper - Wyoming
- Commack - New York
- Farmington - Connecticut
- Atlanta - Georgia
- Oak Park - Illinois
- Knightdale - North Carolina
- Turlock - California
- Prosper - Texas
- Aurora - Ohio
- Seattle - Washington
- Clovis - California
- Colorado Springs - Colorado
- Skokie - Illinois
- Port St. Lucie - Florida
- Strongsville - Ohio
- Katy - Texas
- Washington, D.C.
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stores → plan → 2026
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